Pretty garden in the city

This back garden is designed by Chicago architects Rago/Raff Architects (rugoraff.com).

Photograph by: Handout photo
, Rago/Raff Architects

Hi Jeffrey,

My husband and I moved into our house five years ago, and have concentrated on renovating the interior. It's time to focus on our backyard. We live in the heart of Toronto and love to have friends over, to barbecue and to garden.

Our lot size is approximately 25x115 feet, but we have done very little to the backyard because we wanted to wait until we could afford to do it right. I'm not entirely sure those opportunities ever really present themselves, so we're going to bite the bullet and do it this fall. Do you have any inspiration for a sophisticated city garden?

Thank you,

Janet

This back garden (sounds so much more sophisticated than backyard, don't you think?) is designed by Chicago architects Rago/Raff Architects (rugoraff.com). Although it is located in the Lakeview neighbourhood of Chicago, it could very easily be the Leslieville neighbourhood of Toronto. I think that is why I picture this being my back garden - and now yours.

With my ideal scenario, I will have large floor-to-ceiling sliding doors off the kitchen on to a small deck, similar to what we see here. But I want my deck to be deep enough to accommodate a barbecue, as well as a chair or two. I'll need access from the kitchen to barbecue, and room for one or two of my guests to keep me company while I cook their dinner.

I like the sexy staircase with curved handrails that lead down into the garden. It eliminates what would be all straight lines from a regular set of stairs. And it allows the opportunity to do really interesting ironwork for the stair rail. I will make this a feature for my garden, so when I'm sitting outside looking back at the house, it looks almost sculptural.

Most back gardens have both hardscape and softscape, and I like the balance of the two in this photo: There are just enough trees, shrubs and plants to balance the flagstone and brick.

Notice the entire garden is completely surrounded by eight-foot-high blond brick walls. In my dream garden, I want these same walls, but should reality prevail, I'll settle for an interesting wood fence. There are oodles to choose from on the Web; I'm drawn to a modern design that encompasses horizontal slats.

I like how Rago/Raff defines the various eating and seating spaces, creating brick "rugs" under each area. The intricate brickwork breaks up the visual monotony of using only flagstone. And the stonework creates lovely definition and pathways throughout the garden. It's important to consider how you want to use your outdoor space. Do you like to throw a lot of parties? Does there need to be a dedicated kids' area? Is a water feature your idea of relaxation? Think of all of these things in the planning stage, so that everything is covered from the outset of your project. If grass is a priority for you or children, consider replacing the brick pod at the end of the garden with grass. You then have two brick rugs and one grass rug!

I'm drawn to the relaxed formality of the plantings. A mature tree stands in the foreground with various sized species dotted throughout. You mention you like to garden, as do I, but often life gets busy and we don't have hours to devote to upkeep every weekend. You may wish to choose low-maintenance plants as they did here so that you have more time to relax and enjoy your friends.

Lastly, remember to allocate sufficient funds to adequately light your backyard. So many people forget this element - sitting in a backyard eating a beautiful meal by a few scattered solar lights stuck in the ground doesn't cut it for me. Besides lighting the obvious pathways, trees and features (the beautiful iron stair rail, perhaps), consider hanging a feature light from a mature tree. I have friends in Leslieville who have illuminated and hung a three-foot-diameter vine orb from a tree in their back garden and it's not only a commanding presence, but come dusk, a very practical feature.

So there you have it, Janet - you asked for inspiration for your sophisticated city garden, and I gave you my very own tearsheet and wishlist. Considering we both live in Toronto, I would be pleased if you followed up with an invite to review your creation once complete. That way, you'll be able to share your entire experience, start to finish, in making a dream garden a reality.

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